Can you run a rack interface as a live sound mixer?

[rackdude]

Hey, so I was wondering if I could use something like a MR816 as a live unit. Set up the cubase on a laptop and use the digital mixer, set it through the outs, and bingo, live mixer. Will it work?

[PhilR]

Latency would be an issue, especially with stage monitoring. I've had problems playing with triggered kick drums on stage before because I could hear the latency between the drum & the sound from the monitors.

[rackdude]

Even on zero latency devices?

[petessound@hotm]

its been posted on here a few times already. theres no such thing as a 0 latency digital device, you can get it very very small (around 4ms) but it will never be 0.

but it doesnt mean you cant live with latency. dont forget live digital desks have existed for years. i have run triggered kit pads off logic before on the smallest buffer setting and it was usable enough.

what kind of mixing will you need to be doing live? if its just levels, you might be able to get away with some of the cue mix facilities on some of the firewire interfaces but if you need to be running comps, EQs, FX and graphics it may well be easier to go analog.

happy new year all

[rackdude]

I'm thinking though since the MR816 has dsp effects it would have those usable live too... so then it can be used as a compact mixer with a laptop, right?

(Really trying to choose between that and the N12...)

And yes I do know about how nothing is ever zero latency, but once you get to like 5-7ms, I'd be damned if I could tell the difference

[buddy]

I recently did live sound for a CD release show through my Firestudio Project. I was triggering samples on the kick and snare, compressing electric guitar, putting delay on the vox... all at like 128 samples (2.9ms?) of latency. It was rockin'. The system was just a tiny bit unstable while I was setting everything up, but luckily I had a ton of time before the show to sound check and once all the settings were done it was rock solid. It's a bit risky, and others will probably tell you to steer clear, but I was super impressed with how it turned out.

[psycho_monkey]

Speaking with my gigging musician head on, I wouldn't be happy playing a live show with the engineer mixing the show on a computer.

With live engineer hat on, I wouldn't like it either.

Firstly, you need grabbable faders - if something's feeding back, I want to see where it is so I can sort it out. I don't want to be grabbing a mouse and fiddling about on a screen.

secondly, even if a digital desk crashes, generally it'll still pass audio - so you can get through the song and reboot it during the applause (hopefully!). Computer - no such chance - or if it does, rebooting is going to take much longer, plus digital mixing desks aren't in the habit of crashing very often.

it doesn't LOOK great either does it? like an accountant mixing the gig.

Using a computer to run FX, or even amp sims - no problems, it's not a show stopper if it goes down. Even backing tracks - unless the band is so reliant that if the backing track stops the band stops - then I'd want something hardware.

[NorseHorse]

The Focusrite Saffire 26 i/o can have the 1/4" Outs on the back set as direct outs or you can route all the signals to one or several of the outs, allowing it to function as a mixer with zero-latency. It can be used while recording or as a stand-alone unit. I've never tried this.

[huub]

should be possible, with something like an rme interface, you know, low latency, good drivers.. However.. I personally would not feel comfortable doing so..
Then again, i mixed on neve libra live desks for years, and those are significantly more unreliable than a pc

[edwinhurwitz]

I do this with Metric Halo 2882s for monitors on an almost daily basis. Very very low latency and it works great. FOH might be a bit more iffy because of ease of grabbing faders, etc, but I suppose with a control surface you'd be alright.

This is with the 2d expansion.

Edwin

[Mats H]

Originally Posted by huub

should be possible, with something like an rme interface, you know, low latency, good drivers.. However.. I personally would not feel comfortable doing so..
Then again, i mixed on neve libra live desks for years, and those are significantly more unreliable than a pc

I've done this a couple of times, it works flawlessly on a Fireface 800. Even if the computer crashes the interface still passes audio just fine using it's FPGA mixer.

Or do something a little more risky... I recorded a musical twice while running live VST audio effects with low latency monitoring to stage and FOH (We were short on hardware inserts). I flashed an alternate setting to the soundcard, so even if the computer crashed, I'd just just restart the soundcard and be up again with an emergency routing without VST effects within two seconds, until Windows was back up again. Nothing crashed I've done that on a couple of concerts too.

[huub]

Cool... you could do that with a motu 828 or any other unit wth onboard mixing too.. cool idea.

[johnnypizz]

I see some of you have posted using a Firestudio Project as a live mixer. Yeah, i figured use the main outs to the mains, but where do you route monitors and can u do sub mixes for each monitor? I intend to get a real live sound board in the future, but for now i just wanted to know what my options are. Thanks.

[Barnabas]

I've done this a few times with a Digi 002 or 003. Most were for live jazz that I was recording and also mixed the sound for the house. No stage monitors. I was able to get a great sound, and received many compliments.

Only once did I do it with stage monitors, and the guitar player complained about the delay. I removed all effects on his track and he still complained about the delay. There were 15 people in the audience and no room for my big sound console anyway.